A Tainted Hero

Chapter 10

Once again 7 stood, facing the students, asking for th next one to cross the line. Todoroki was on the ground unable to move. Bakugo is on his hands and knees still trying to catch his breath. Midoriya and Iida are lying just behind the line, Iida unconscious and Midoriya seemingly down for the count. Uraraka was kneeling beside Midoriya clearly not intending to move any time soon.

The rest of the students stand and stare. Some have begun to inch further back while others have inched closer and closer to the line's edge, Kirishima being one of them.

Kirishima's mind is racing, trying to figure out who exactly the girl in front of him is.
'She can't be the same girl that I talked to. What's changed? Why's she acting like a...'

"Come on, who's next?" Mr Croft interjects, "I don't get to take her out that often so get on with it."

Kirishima fells his heart drop. Before he knew what was happening he was running towards her. She readied herself for another fight. Kirishima realised what was happening just in time to activate his hardening. It was his best defence against attack, if her quirk manipulated the pain felt by the impact of any attack he would lessen the pain she had to work with.

He charged at her, but instead of attacking, she simply lunged out of the way putting more distance between them. He took a moment to recover then stood facing her once again. She stood straight directly facing him with both fists clenched squeezing tightly against her sides, her head bowed and her eyes shut.

Kirishima was taken aback by this, 'Is she trying to control her quirk?'

"Don't you know an opening when you see one," Kirishima turns to Mr Croft shouting, "if she's distracted, now's your chance!"

Kirishima's mind became clear. He remembered what made him charge in, in the first place. He deactivated his quirk and relaxed his stance, 'I'm going to save her.'

He starts walking towards her, 'I'm going to help her.'

As he gets closer he can see that she is shaking slightly. He keeps walking, 'I'll save her.'

While watching this all play out, Kaminari feels uneasy, 'Something's wrong.'

He starts walking towards them, "Um, Kirishima..."

Kirishima stops right in front of 7, trying to talk to her, "Hey, 7, it's ok. You don't have to do any of this."

Kaminari is now standing on the line, "Kirishima, maybe- KIRISHIMA!"

Kaminari yelled just as Kirishima put his hand on 7's shoulder. He caught the attention of 7 as he ran towards Kirishima. She followed him with her eyes him as he knelt down next to him.

"Kirishima! Where does it hurt, how mu-"

He was cut off by Kirishima shaking his head no. It didn't hurt, not on his body. He felt an overwhelming sense of fear. He hugged himself and cried, he didn't want anyone touching him, he didn't want anyone close to him because he was scared he'd...

"We'll be heroes, yeah you and me. Da-da-da-da-da-rum."

He suddenly stopped crying.

"We'll be heroes, yeah you and me. Da-da-da-da-da-rum."

Kaminari looked up at 7, who was singing the song.

"Heroes, yeah the world will see. Da-da-da-da-da-rum."

She was no longer shaking, instead, she looked like she was holding in her laughter. Tears streaming down her face and she was smiling. She looked like this was the happiest moment of her life.